3.4, 163 non-traditional

Thought I would throw this out here and see if you guys have any thoughts on the matter.

Background: I'm 33, with a 163 LSAT. My GPA is 3.3, although it is skewed by terrible grades during my earlier, idiot days. Since returning to school, I have a 3.76. Very strong softs, with lots of charitable work and professional experience. Just my opinion, but I think my personal statement will be a real asset. Solid LOR's (director of state department of higher ed. and a dean of students at one of the schools where I'm applying.

Here is my dilemma. I feel great about both state schools where I am applying this cycle, and I know I am almost assured to get into one or both. Both are T3, but have decent reputations regionally. I got into the game a little late to apply for most reaches, but I am thinking of waiting until next cycle to see if I can pull a some money from a T1, or at least more from my state schools.

I don't know where you're looking at going to school, or how far you'd be willing to move but I know that both Tulane and IU-B gave me decent scholarships with numbers pretty similar to yours. I'm a non-trad as well (ex-military) who is in a similar situation regarding grades (I rolled a 2.2 my freshman year which was about a decade ago).

Also, if you're willing to sit out law school for a year, nothing will improve your chances of getting into a first class school more than retaking the LSAT. If you manage to bump your score up by 5 points or so you really increase your odds of getting into either A)a really good school, or B) getting into a school outside of the top 25 with a much better scholarship.

Thanks. I think 5 points may be doable. Logic games really brought me down, and the more of those you practice it seems, the better. I would like to start this fall, but am willing to wait if it comes down to that.

Should have mentioned I'm in Arkansas. UA and UALR are probably my only realistic choices unless I receive some large money somewhere because I have a family. Also, wife is an attorney practicing here and does not relish the prospect of taking the bar in another state.

As of right now I haven't made a decision on where I'll be attending. I'm still waiting to hear back from UC-Hastings and UC-Davis but I don't expect that I'll be getting very much aid (if any) if I decide to attend either school. I'm also on the Waitlist at Notre Dame, and while my chance of getting merit aid there is pretty much 0 I'd have no problem paying sticker to go there. Tulane is my best option at the moment (20K/yr scholarship which is roughly 50% off tuition in a city/region I like) and if I get dinged at both UCs and Notre Dame I'll be packing my bags for NOLA.

If you and your wife are happy in Arkansas then I say, why move? I'm assuming, as you said, that both schools have good regional reputations, resident tuition is dirt cheap (LSAC.org has it listed at just over 10K/year, which is ridiculously low for law school, as in probably lower than what you'd pay even with a 5 point bump and ensuing scholarship at most out of state/private T1's), and you're far enough above both schools 75% LSAT (and not too far off their median GPA) that I can't imagine you not getting some sort of aid to drop the price tag to almost undergrad tuition levels. As for getting no scholarship money because you applied too late; I applied in February '08 to LSU before I retook and they still offered me a scholarship that knocked tuition down to instate levels so I wouldn't feel too pessimistic about not getting aid, though 10K/year tuition for law school without any scholarships is still unbelievably cheap.

The fact that your wife is a practicing attorney should give you some idea as to what the job market where you live is like and should give you a leg up in your job search as she'll probably hear about openings long before they ever hit the classifieds.

If you want to be a lawyer, are happy where you are, would be attending a school that place well in the region, and would be leaving law school with 35K-45K in loans (worst case scenario) then I don't see a reason to go anywhere but UALR or UA. Sure, you could retake the LSAT, hopefully get a decent bump, and get into a T1 with a decent scholarship or possibly land a spot at a top 20 school paying sticker. But... you're already set up nicely where you are. Short of wanting to get out of Arkansas (which it sounds like your wife is opposed to) I just don't see a reason to go out of state.